I am still sipping tea on Tea Ave – oh my mistake, I mean sipping Ave Tea.
Ave Tea has sent me some delightful and appealing samples from India that I’m choosing to share with you all.
Their Smoked Exotica really piqued my curiosity, but my daughter made me promise not to sample it without her. She enjoys smoky teas. I’m sorry to say, they are just not my thing. I was thrilled to have someone with whom to share this experience.
Our sense of smell is linked to our memory — much more so than any of our other senses. I’m quite confident that many of you have encountered numerous people in your tea journey that absolutely detested some of your teas. You can’t take that personally. Those are often memories for many that brought back unpleasant things — while to our favor — other tastes and aromas trigger pleasurable memories.
A smoky or deliberately smoked tea takes me back to my childhood memory of the smell of diesel train engines running day and night. It was cold in the prairies of Saskatchewan, and the Canadian Pacific Railroad went through the section of Saskatoon where I grew up. It was the common practice to allow those engines in the train yard to idle endlessly during the cold weather snaps. The smell of diesel fuel at minus forty degrees leaves a stinging sensation in your nostrils that one never forgets. It’s definitely not a good memory for me.
Such is life. Can one overcome these memories? In many cases, yes; in other cases, those memories can stay with us for the duration of our lifetime. Do I care about overcoming my dislike of smoky smelling and tasting things? No, not really, there are so many other teas I absolutely love. Will a company or teashop fall out of favor with me for carrying, featuring, or specializing in these teas? For Heaven’s sake, no!
A saw blade had evidently sliced the ‘disc’ of tea that was sent to me in the Smoky Exotica package. A band of bamboo still held the tea sample intact. The amount of tea leaves that had been packed (smashed) into the original tube of bamboo must have been enormous. Here is how AveTea.com describes their Smoky Exotica:
“An unforgettable blend of smoky, earthy flavours, this tea is tightly packed into bamboo and smoked for 4 years. The result is a brew that invigorates the senses with just the right touch of smoothness blending with the distinct bass tones that are a throwback to ancient times; finishing off with a light earthy flavour of its native soil. The perfect cup to rejuvenate a zest for life and deep conversations.”
Do have a close look at the photo collage I put together for you:
Image provided and copyright held by author
To be concluded in Smoked Exotica – Part 2
It is fascinating the history we hold of smells. One of my most pleasant smells growing up was burning leaves. Each fall, my dad would rake up the leaves in the yard for burning. Before the burn however, we were allowed to jump into the leaves and roll around a bit. Our daughter, decades later, wasn’t allowed to play in a pile of leaves because of lyme disease. One tradition lost forever. Burning is the next ritual to be lost, as here in Oregon, with fires being such a persistent problem, it’s discouraged to burn anything at this point. One can get a permit but the formality seems to be off putting for such a simple pleasure.
The pleasure of tea however is indeed something that will last for generations to come. I love incorporating tea into all of our holidays and important events.
I agree with you on the smokey tea’s. Not my thing either. Reminds me of summers spent smoking salmon in Northern California during my youth. Who wants fishy tea?
I’d be curious to know more about the four-year smoking? Doesn’t sound too great for the environment or practical.
Yes, our sense of smell triggers our memories and influences our preferences — in a good way and also in a not-so-good way. Michelle, I, too, was instantly taken back to the smell of burning leaves by your comment — and those memories I associate with joy and childhood. Some emotions never leave — especially when they are physical memories. All these things are quite pertinent for us in the world of tea where the senses play such an important role for those sipping and sampling. Just as some folks truly love smoky things! Yes, four years of dutifully smoking a product is quite a commitment — that will either be enjoyed fully — OR NOT.